Jilted Brides Series 1-3 by Cheryl Holt-Reviews and Giveaway

The JILTED BRIDE series
by Cheryl Holt
Release Date: September 20, 2018
Genre: adult, historical romance

JILTED BY A CAD

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Josephine Bates only ever wanted to marry and have a home of her own.  At age eighteen, when a handsome suitor swept her off her feet, she believed all her dreams were about to come true.   But he was actually a cad who stole her dowry and jilted her at the altar. Since then, she’s been wary of men and their motives.  She’s accepted the notion that she’ll never escape her dreary, quiet existence, and she’ll most likely live out her days as a spinster…

Peyton Prescott is a ship’s captain in the Royal Navy.  He’s a man of action and adventure, and his years have been filled with danger and excitement.  But his brother has died, so he’s inherited a title and earldom he never sought or wanted. He’s afraid his new position will force him to abandon the thrilling life he loves, and he’s loafing in England, feeling landlocked and desperate to return to the sea.  He’d give anything for a diversion, and when pretty, lonely Josephine crosses his path, he’s fascinated and can’t resist…

But Peyton isn’t looking for a bride, and Josephine could never be interested in a handsome, dashing scoundrel.  Yet as friendship blossoms and passion flares, can love be far behind? 

•••••••••••••

REVIEW: The first book in a new series always has a hard job, if it’s not good enough do you carry on reading the series?

It’s the usual dashing cad and scoundrel falling for the dowdy and let down spinster story, and reading the back I really wasn’t too convinced …..

But the writing is very well done. It’s very descriptive and well thought out. And can be easily read in an afternoon.

Our “spinster of the Parish” Josephine (or Jo to family and friends ) was jilted at the altar, so wants no part in “love” she wants to live a quiet life, but secretly longing for a little adventure and that all elusive “love” she lives with her older half sister, who likes to constantly remind her of her silly mistake.

Our “dashing scoundrel” Peyton is not ready to settle down, he wants to continue his adventures …..
But when his poor brother dies, Peyton has to step into the role of Earl, and he can’t think of a worse fate, he wants to be back on his ship and sail away to find adventure.

So ….. the two characters meet, Josephine is extremely wary, and Peyton just wants to have a little fun.
But the two strike up a friendship, and then the chemistry starts to work its magic.

Will Peyton be cured of his need to leave for new adventures? And will Josephine ever trust a cad and scoundrel with her heart ?

Julie ?

___________

JILTED BY A SCOUNDREL

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CHERYL HOLT continues to delight readers with the thrilling, dramatic second novel in her Jilted Brides trilogy…

Winifred Watson grew up as the only daughter of a decorated war hero. When he died suddenly, she was shocked to learn that he was bankrupt and she lost everything to pay his final debts.  She’d hoped to wed her fiancé—a steady, handsome man who would have guided her through the tumult of her father’s death.  But when her penury was revealed, her fickle betrothed jilted her at the altar. His treacherous conduct pitched her into a downward spiral that she can’t seem to halt…

John Dunn escaped his dreary home by joining the army when he was sixteen.  He loved his years as a soldier and planned to dedicate the remainder of his life to King and country.  But he was swept into a scandal and drummed out of the service. He’s returned to his family’s isolated, dreary castle on the Cornwall coast, but it’s the one spot on the globe he vowed to never visit again.  He’s bitter, raging, and eager for a diversion from his pathetic situation…

When Winifred arrives, demanding shelter and assistance, John isn’t inclined to provide any help.  But she’s pretty, intriguing, and in desperate need of a knight in shining armor. How can he resist?

•••••••••••••

REVIEW:So …..

after reading book one in the series I delved into book two ….

The family is loosely connected to the Earl of Benton ( Peyton’s brother) he fathered (another) two children, (they have the same father, but different mothers) and when Winifred (or Winnie as the children like to call her) comes storming in to demand that he not only provide a home for the child, his sister had with the Earl of Benton, she also asks that he take in the child’s half brother and herself (she claims that she is the child’s legal guardian, but when all in fact she is their governess) and when he refuses, Winifred is at a loss at what to do next, their home gone, her job no longer needed, John was their last hope ….

John isn’t happy that he has to come home, he loved the army after joining it at a very young age, he gave him the “family feeling” he didn’t get at home. But after a scandal drums him out of his “beloved” army, John wearily makes his way home, to become the Lord of Dunworthy (an honorary title, not an actual title)

Coming face to face with Winifred annnoys him no end ….. how dare she claim his sister had a child out of wedlock, and to a married man at that !!! And that she wants a home for the children and the rest of the family !!! She has a nerve, but she was a feisty young thing.
But he really can’t afford the young lady and two children to wander around the castle and village …. John has a secret, he’s had to start smuggling to cover the debts his family has left him with.

But he comes to his senses and offers Winnie and the two children a room for the night, but just for tonight, and as soon as the tide is low, he’s getting them off his island.

But circumstances change, and John and Winnie become allies (there are people in the castle that want Winnie gone, and John to be married to the widow of his late brother) their bickering and bantering had me chuckling at times.

So ….. do John and Winnie have a happy ending ? Or will she find out about his smuggling ? And will the other forces come into play and keep them apart ?

Julie ?

_________

JILTED BY A ROGUE

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CHERYL HOLT delivers the delightful, emotional, and stunning conclusion to her Jilted Brides trilogy…

Amelia Boyle has always viewed herself as an extremely modest and moral woman. But after suffering a string of personal catastrophes, she went a bit wild and made several reckless decisions. Her spurt of excess culminated in her becoming engaged to a man she barely knew. When he promptly jilted her at the altar, the cruel act yanked her to her senses. She’s been forced to admit she has frivolous tendencies, and she vows to never let them flare again.

James Hastings loves his life in the army, and he doesn’t plan to ever retire. He’s a confirmed bachelor who spends his days around active, tough men who are proud to serve King and country. He’s not interested in marriage or settling down, and he has no time for women and no patience for flirtation.

But when Amelia stumbles into his dull, boring world, she turns it upside down, and it gradually dawns on him that he might not be able to live without her. Amelia has sworn off romance though and has other plans that don’t include binding herself to a handsome, dashing soldier. Can James convince her that he might be precisely who and what she needs to be happy?

•••••••••••

REVIEW: Amelia is planning a trip to Gibraltar, well planning isn’t exactly the word. Amelia fell for a smooth talking con man ….
And now she needs to get away, and answering a call to become a ladies travel companion seems like an ideal opportunity to escape London and all the gossip her downfall will bring.

We meet Amelia in book one (Jilted by a Cad) and I had hoped she would get a book.

Her rescuer comes in the form of James Hastings (Lord Denby)
He’s a sailor and the brother to the lady she travelled with.
But a rescuer isn’t how she first sees him, he’s half naked and riding on the back of a horse.

He is so rude, and vain, and conceited, he flirts like mad with Amelia, but soon stops when he finds out Amelia travelled with his sister (she told Amelia that James had written to her and told he she was to come to Gibraltar, when in fact, he hadn’t had spoken to his sister in years) so storming to their hotel, he is absolutely fuming.

James doesn’t want to be Lord Denby, he told his family that he didn’t want the title. But as his brother passed away, the title is rightfully his. And his sister told him that he had to come home and look after her. He likes his life in Gibraltar and has no inclination to go home.

The banter and bickering was very much in the same vein as the other two books.
And all the books connect (there is a man that cons all the women out of money and innocence)

They were fun and very light hearted. The romance felt a little stilted.
So if you like your historical romance, then give these books a go.

They don’t really need to be read in order, but I did and felt they read better.

Reviews by Julie  ?

Copies supplied for review

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Cheryl Holt is a New York Times, USA Today, and Amazon “Top 100” bestselling author of fifty novels. 

She’s also a lawyer and mom, and at age 40, with two babies at home, she started a new career as a commercial fiction writer. She’d hoped to be a suspense novelist, but couldn’t sell any of her manuscripts, so she ended up taking a detour into romance, where she was stunned to discover that she has an incredible knack for writing some of the world’s greatest love stories.

She is considered to be one of the masters of the romance genre, and her emotional, dramatic, and riveting stories of passion and illicit love have captivated fans around the world. She has won or been nominated for many national awards. For many years, she was hailed as “The Queen of Erotic Romance”, and she’s also revered as “The International Queen of Villains.” She is particularly proud to have been named “Best Storyteller of the Year” by the trade magazine Romantic Times BOOK Reviews.

Cheryl lives and writes in Hollywood, California. www.cherylholt.com.

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